Russian media: Russian air defense system "is getting better every day"

Reference News Network, June 21 According to the Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" website on June 18, Ukraine launched a record-scale drone attack against Russia. In response to this round of attacks, the Russian air defense system intercepted and destroyed 555 drones, of which 190 were shot down while heading towards the capital. Military experts highly praised the professionalism of the Russian air defense forces. However, the losses were not completely reduced to zero: oil refineries in Moscow and some civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that in the early hours of the 18th, the on-duty Russian air defense forces intercepted and shot down 555 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin stated that 190 drones were shot down while heading towards the capital. Emergency response professionals are working at the wreckage sites.

Experts emphasized that the Ukrainian attack fully demonstrated the high level of professionalism of the Russian air defense forces. Military expert Kots said: "Out of the 555 drones, only a very small number reached the target area in the capital. This indicates several issues: it is not only the credit of the 'Pantsir' air defense system but also benefits from civilian design bureaus developed from startups, mass-produced electronic warfare systems, drone intercept operators, and the coordinated actions of the Ministry of Defense, National Guard, and Aerospace Forces within a unified combat system. This system has grown during the war. It learns every day and gets better every day."

The "Telegram" channel "Russian Engineer" wrote: "The photos of the airstrike on the oil refinery today are distressing. Nevertheless, the air defense system built by Moscow demonstrated a 99% interception rate. To break through the multi-layered air defense system, the enemy used its accumulated drone reserves, but only a few attack drones successfully penetrated. Of course, there is no 100% effective air defense system; it is important to increase the number of drones shot down by the outer air defense systems to relieve the pressure on the last line of defense."

Military expert Ronin told "Vedomosti" that improvements to the existing system should not only be reflected in quantity but also in quality. He said: "The enemy is betting on a tactic of overwhelming drone bombardment, which requires further increasing the saturation of the air defense system. This needs to be achieved through intercepting drones, laser weapons, and rotating turrets."

Ronin predicted: "The number of drones will continue to increase as production scales up. According to various assessments, both sides launched about 11,000 to 12,000 drones in May, and this number is expected to rise to 14,000 to 15,000 per month in July and August." In his view, "the drone revolution is not over; it is actively developing."

Military expert Leonkov shares a similar view. He said: "From various signs, the drones involved in the airstrikes against Moscow city and Moscow region are FP-2 and low-cost unmanned combat attack systems (LUCAS), the latter of which was developed by the U.S. based on Iran's 'Shahed' drones."

Leonkov pointed out that the drones did not fly along fixed routes but adjusted their flight paths in real-time to break through the air defense systems deployed around Moscow, increasing the difficulty for air defense operators to respond. The main target of the drones was the Kapotnya oil refinery.

Leonkov analyzed: "The Ukrainian side obtains real-time information through Western satellite constellations, adjusting the airstrike routes and determining coordinates so that large numbers of drones can pass through with minimal losses. I speculate that this was the plan implemented in the early hours of the 18th."

The expert believes that it is crucial to continue strengthening the air defense system and equipping it with modern systems. In addition, not only radar stations and electronic reconnaissance stations should be used, but other positioning devices should also play a role, such as echolocation and electro-optical positioning.

Russia is carrying out effective strikes against Ukraine as planned. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov pointed out that the Russian armed forces will continue this work in the future. Precision strikes against critical infrastructure, energy facilities, fuel depots, and military-industrial complex assembly plants have significantly weakened the Ukrainian army and positively impacted the Russian army's advance in Donbas. (Translated by He Yingjun)